SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry Preview

Sling Media made a beta of SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry available to the public today. I’ve tried it out on a BlackBerry Bold and I’m quite pleased with it.

For those who aren’t familiar with SlingPlayer Mobile, it allow smartphone users to watch everything they could on their home TV. It requires a SlingBox to handle the streaming, but can send live TV programs over the Internet and wireless networks to a mobile device.

There are already versions for Windows Mobile, Palm OS, and more. The design for the BlackBerry edition is quite a bit different from the others I’ve used, but that doesn’t mean it’s hard to use. Quite the contrary, it’s well designed to work with the BlackBerry trackball, and just does what it’s supposed to do without a lot of hassle.

In tests in an area with good AT&T coverage, SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry performed beautifully with a 3G connection. If you’d prefer, it will also run over Wi-Fi.

But don’t just take my word for it; watch the video I made of this software in action:

Pricing and Availability

SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry is available now as part of a public beta. However, it is currently only for Slingbox customers in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. For more information or download, visit the appropriate Sling Media site:

It is only officially supported on devices with either 3G or Wi-Fi. In many cases it will work OK on models with slower connections, but Sling Media doesn’t make any promises.

SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry is free during the beta period. Its maker hasn’t spelled this out yet, but I’m certain this application will cost $29.99 thereafter, just like all the other mobile versions do.